Bruce McKean
Contributing Writer
PCHS V, 53
Tygarts Valley V, 41
Two of the three Class A girls basketball teams playing this season minus Harman in Section 2 of Region II open-ed sectional play February 22. #1 seed Pendleton County (Pen) (13-6 and #9 AP Poll) received a sectional first round bye. #2 seed Pocahontas County (PCHS) (6-16) hosted #3 seed Tygarts Valley (also 6-16), and the two teams had played twice during the regular season. PCHS won by 12 points, 48-36, at home on December 21, and TVHS also won by 12, 54-42 at home on February 1.
The Lady Warriors played their best game of the season in front of the biggest home crowd of the season and won again by 12 points. TVHS even brought their cheerleaders to the game. The last lead for the Bulldogs was when the score was 5-2 TVHS. The first quarter was the lowest scoring quarter for both teams and ended (PC-TV) 11-6. The last three quarters were (PC-TV): 13-10, 16-16 and 13-9. TVHS cut the PCHS lead to 2 points twice in the second frame with a 7-0 run cutting our lead to 16-14 and then to 18-16. TVHS cut our lead to 4 points twice in the third frame to 41-37 (a 5-point run) and then to 43-39.
PCHS was called for 23 fouls and made 19 of 30 (63 percent) foul shots, and 14 of those 30 attempts were in the fourth quarter (6 of 14 made). The top-three PCHS foul shooters were: Shayla Bennett – 6 of 6, Olivia Vandevender – 5 of 9 and Kelsi Taylor – 5 of 10. Isabella Shumate made 8 of 14 of TVHS’s foul shots. TVHS was called for 21 fouls and they made 20 of 35 (57 percent) foul shots. TVHS grabbed the most rebounds, 38 versus 31, but PCHS had fewer turnovers, 24 versus 28. PCHS hit 11 of 44 (25 percent) two attempts and 4 of 13 (31 percent) three attempts and 15 of 57 (26 percent) total field goal attempts. PCHS made the most field goals in the third quarter, 6 of 14 (43 percent) and the least in the second, 3 of 16 (19 percent).
PCHS two game-high scorers were Vandevender – 13 points, hit 3 of 8 (38 percent of field goals), 2 treys, 3 deflections, and 4 assists, and Calli Propst – 13 points, hit 6 of 16 (38 percent of field goals), 1 trey, and 4 blocks. TVHS two high scorers were Shumate and Summer Lewis-Smith – 10 points each. Scoring in every quarter were: Kelsi Taylor, Propst and Lewis-Smith. Three Warriors made 7 game-high rebounds: Bennett (also 8 points), Kelsi Taylor (also 9 points) and Haley Spencer (also 3 points). Riley Pollack had 5 team-high assists, 5 points and 1 trey.
This PCHS win sent them into the Region II Section 2 Championship at #1 seed Pen February 24.
PCHS V, 30
Pendleton Co. V, 76
PCHS fans and a PCHS student bus headed to Franklin to support the Lady Warriors (7-16) in the Section 2 Championship vs Pen (13-6). Pen had defeated PCHS twice this season, first by 39 points, 66-27, on January 10 at Franklin and then by 29 points, 59-30 February 11 at Dunmore. Pen started strong and took the first quarter 26-7, and PCHS had their best effort in the second, losing it 13-19. Wildcat senior Ana Young, the second highest scorer in all 4 West Virginia classes on MaxPreps, scored 16 points in the first quarter (including 3 treys and 5 of 5 foul shooting), and she scored 25 of her game-high 28 in the first half. Pen hit 11 treys in the game. Pen took the third and fourth stanzas 16-4 and 15-6 and won the game by 46 points, 76-30.
PCHS high scorers were Pollack and Adelyn Warner with 6 points each. Both teams had 9 players scoring. Two sophomore Wildcats were also in double digits, Avery Townsend – 13 and Lizzie Alt – 11.
PCHS committed 10 more turnovers, 14 versus 4, and grabbed 10 fewer rebounds, 26 versus 36. Warrior Warner had team-high rebounds of 5, and no “other individual Stats” not including scoring were higher than 1. PCHS did better on foul shooting, 13 of 22 (59 percent) vs 11 of 20 (55 percent). PCHS was also called for fewer fouls, 17 versus 20.
Pen (14-6) will now host the loser of the Section 1 Championship, Union (11-12), on March 2, and PCHS (7-17) will travel to the Section 1 champion, Tucker (18-2), March 2 and play at 7 p.m. The winners in the two Region II Co-finals will head to States. #2 ranked TCHS is hoping to make an unprecedented 19th straight state tournament appearance.
